Windshield cleaner



April 3, 1934. E. THIBAULT 1,953,731

WINDSHIELD CLEANER Filed April 8, 1933 Patented Apr. 3, 1934 PATENT OFFICE WINDSHIELD CLEANER Emile Thibault, Paris, France Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,101

' In Germany April 12, 1932 3 Claims. (01. 7414) My invention relates to such windshieldcleanare where the cleaning blade is imparted a swinging motion from a member in continuous rotary motion.

The principal object of my invention is to devise 'a windshield of the above mentioned type which will have a reduced bulk and will be light and easily manufactured at low cost though reliable in operation, and for this purpose to devise a peculiar contrivanoe of simple and substantial nature capable of transforming a continuous rotary motion of a driving shaft into an alternate rotary motion of a driven shaft perpendicular to said driving shaft and not contained in a common plane with the latter.

I .:thereof and in which:

Fig. 1 shows the apparatus, viewed in the direction of the driving shaft. Fig. 2 represents the apparatus, viewed in the direction of the cleaner blade shaft.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a shaft forming part of the cleaner and adapted to be given a movego ment of continuous rotation by any suitable means, for instance by an auxiliary motor, or by a flexible shaft or other gearing driven from the engine of the vehicle. 2 denotes the shaft carrying the cleaning blade.

The continuous rotation of the shaft 1 is transformed into a swinging motion of the shaft 2 by the medium of the following contrivance.

At the point where the shaft 1 is crossed by the plane which is perpendicular to this shaft and ,40; contains the axis of shaft 2, is secured a plate 4 I in such position that it will make with the axis of shaft 1 an angle other than 90.

0n the other hand, at the point of intersection of the shaft 2 by the plane which is perpendicular j to this shaft and contains the axis of shaft 1, is

secured a crank-arm 5 whose end is permanently held in slidable engagement with the plate 4 and ;,is allowed to vary its inclination with reference len , to the latter by the medium of means to be further described.

the position shown in the drawing, the end of the crank-arm 5 will describe a circular are A C, and

during the second 90 revolution of the plate in the same direction, the end of the crank-arm will move along a circular arc C A. At this time, the plate 4 will be in the position i, which is symmetrical with the preceding with reference to a plane passing through the axis of the shaft 2 and perpendicular to this axis. When the plate makes another halfarevolution in the same direction in order to come back tothe starting point 4, it will oblige the end of the crank-arm 5 to move along thearc AA.

It is thus observed that the crank-arm 3 carried by the shaft 2 will be given the desired swinging motion when the shaft 1 moves with a continuous rotation.

On the other hand, the path of the end of the crank-arm 5 moving upon the plate 4, when the latter makes a complete revolution, is not a circle, but is an ellipse whose large axis is AB and whose small axis is CD.

The inclination of the arm 5 with reference to the plate 4 will be difierent at each point of the arc of ellipse which corresponds to the angular motion of the arm 5, and hence the connection between the arm and plate should be such as to allow this variation of the inclination.

Such a connection can be variously afiorded.

In the embodiment herein represented, one face of the plate 4 is provided with a projecting flanged edge 6 which extends throughout the whole length of the aforesaid ellipse and is engaged in a fork-shaped part at the end of the crank-arm 5. The inclination of the rim which is formed by this flange, with reference to the plane of the plate, is made to vary at each point of the flange, in such manner that this inclination will be constantly equal to the inclination of the arm 5 at the same point.

Hence the inclination of the flange 6 with reference to the plate 4 will decrease from the point A to the end C of the small axis, at which point the inclination will be null, and it will then increase as far as the end B of the axis AB. The other half of the guiding flange is symmetrical with the preceding, with reference to the axis AB.

Obviously, the connection just described between the arm 6 and the plate 4 is given solely by way of example, as such connection can be effected by other means. For instance, the end of the arm 5 can be connected by a ball-andsocket joint to a member which would be slidable along a guide having the aforesaid elliptical form, in which case the guide need not have a variable inclination from the plane of the plate, and may consist of a groove or the like.

It is further evident that the same plate may be used for operating two or more crank-arms 5, mounted on respective shafts 2 spaced around the shaft 1 at equal distances therefrom. This is an advantage peculiar to the aforesaid mechanism, as a single apparatus will serve to clean the glass in front of the driver and in front of a person seated beside him.

It will be further appreciated that the contrivance above described can be very easily manufactured at a very low cost; for instance the guiding plate can be readily obtained by stamping. 5

What I claim is:

1. In a windshield cleaner, in combination, a driving shaft adapted to be given a continuous rotary motion, a blade actuating shaft perpendicular to said driving shaft and nonplanar with said driving shaft, a plate secured in an inclined position on said driving shaft at the point of intersection of said driving shaft with the plane perpendicular thereto and containing the axis of the blade actuating shaft, a crank-arm secured on said blade actuating shaft at the point of intersection of said blade-actuating shaft with the plane perpendicular thereto and containing the axis of the driving shaft, uninterrupted guiding means presented by said plate and forming thereon a substantially oval-shaped path, and means whereby the effort end of said crank is held in permanent slidable engagement with said guiding means while free to vary its inclination to said plate.

2. In a windshield cleaner the combination claimed in claim 1 wherein the crank is forkshaped at its end and the guiding means is con stituted by a continuous rim projecting from the plate, slidablyengaged in said fork-shaped part of the crank and properly inclined at each point with reference to the plate to suit the corre-'- 285 spending inclination of the crank to the plate. 3. In a windshield cleaner a driving shaft adapted to be given a continuous rotary motion,

a blade actuating shaft perpendicular to said driving shaft and nonplaner with said driving shaft, an oval-shaped plate secured in an inclined position on said driving shaft at the point of intersection of said driving shaft with the plane perpendicular thereto and containing the axis of the blade actuating shaft, a crank-arm secured on said blade actuating shaft at the pointof intersection of said blade actuating shaft with the plane perpendicular thereto and containing the ioo 

